Natalie Wilkie Secures Bronze, Completes Medal Set at Milano-Cortina Paralympics
Val di Fiemme, Italy – Canadian Para nordic skiing star Natalie Wilkie added a bronze medal to her collection at the Milano-Cortina Paralympics on Tuesday, finishing third in the women’s standing sprint classic. This victory marks her first cross-country skiing medal at these Games, adding to the gold and silver she previously won in biathlon events.
The 25-year-old from Salmon Arm, British Columbia, completed the 3.40-kilometer course in 3 minutes and 40.2 seconds. Norway’s Vilde Nilsen claimed gold with a time of 3:31.3, followed by American Sydney Peterson in 3:35.5. CBC Sports reported on the event.
Wilkie’s Impressive Paralympic Career
With this latest medal, Wilkie now boasts 10 Paralympic medals throughout her career. She was the top qualifier and had the fastest overall semifinal time (3:31.4) earlier in the day. She previously won a full set of medals – gold, silver, and bronze – at both the PyeongChang 2018 and Beijing 2022 Winter Paralympic Games. Natalie Wilkie’s Wikipedia page details her achievements.
“It’s pretty awesome. My team’s preparations have been really great this year,” Wilkie said, according to CBC Sports.
Wilkie’s family, including her sister Madeleine, who recently competed at the Junior World Ski Championships, were in attendance to cheer her on.
Canada’s Medal Count and Upcoming Events
Canada’s medal count at the Milano-Cortina Paralympics now stands at eight medals through four days of competition: one gold, three silver, and four bronze.
Wilkie has two individual events remaining: the sprint pursuit biathlon on Friday and the 20-kilometer interval start free cross-country race on Sunday. She is similarly eligible for the 4×2.5km mixed cross-country relay on Saturday, where she has the opportunity to tie Lana Spreeman as Canada’s most decorated female Winter Paralympian with 13 medals.
Other Canadian Results
Mark Arendz of Hartsville, Prince Edward Island, finished last in the men’s standing sprint classic, clocking a time of 2:49.7. Raman Svirydzenka of Belarus won the race in 2:35.4.
In Para alpine, Kalle Eriksson and guide Sierra Smith narrowly missed a podium finish in the men’s combined event, finishing just 0.05 seconds behind the gold medalists.
Canada’s wheelchair curling team, led by Mark Ideson, remains undefeated with a 9-4 victory over China, improving their record to 5-0.